Light Chicken and Biscuits

When its cold and rainy and you want to cozy up with warm dinner - make this. I made my own biscuits (for the first time - so easy) but you can use any biscuit, premade or not.

Light Chicken and Biscuits

Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup low-fat (1 percent) milk
5 carrots, thinly sliced
5 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 box (10 ounces) frozen pearl onions, thawed
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 pounds cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or large heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add carrots, celery, and onions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, 7 to 10 minutes.

Sprinkle vegetables with remaining 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; stir in remaining 3/4 cup milk, 1/2 cup water, and thyme. Simmer until liquid is thickened, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken; simmer until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes.

Serve chicken stew with biscuits.

Biscuits
From King Arthur Flour

2 1/4 cups (9 ounces) King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup (2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces) buttermilk powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) cold unsalted butter
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Parmesan or cheddar cheese, plus extra for topping
1 cup (4 ounces) chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried, optional
1 large egg
1 cup (8 ounces) milk, plus extra for topping

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flours, buttermilk powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut the butter into pats, then work it into the dry ingredients to form coarse crumbs. Toss in the cheese, nuts, and rosemary.

Whisk together the egg and milk. Add to the flour mixture and blend lightly until the dough is evenly moistened. Add a tablespoon or so additional milk to incorporate any extra flour in the bottom of the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and use a bench knife or bowl scraper to fold it over on itself three or four times, until it comes together.

Pat the dough about 1" thick. Use a 2" biscuit cutter to cut it into rounds. Pat the scraps together, and cut additional biscuits. Transfer the biscuits to the prepared pan. Brush the tops with milk, and sprinkle with a bit of grated cheese.

Bake the biscuits for 14 to 16 minutes, until they're golden. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

Light Chicken Enchiladas

This dinner always satisfies my Mexican craving! And no guilt!

Lighter Chicken Enchiladas
Adapted from Martha Stewart

Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as safflower
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 to 2 tablespoons minced canned chipotles in adobo
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
8 corn tortillas (6-inch)
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese (2 ounces)

In a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, bring 1 inch salted water to a boil. Add chicken. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 5 minutes; remove skillet from heat. Let chicken steam, covered, until opaque throughout, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer chicken to a medium bowl; shred with two forks. Set aside.

While chicken is cooking, make sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add flour, cumin, and chipotles in adobo; cook, whisking, 1 minute. Whisk in broth and 1/2 cup water; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook, whisking occasionally, until sauce has thickened slightly, 5 to 8 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer 1 cup sauce to bowl with chicken; toss to combine.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour 1/4 cup sauce into bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish; set aside. Stack tortillas, and wrap in a double layer of damp paper towels; microwave until hot, about 1 minute. Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture; roll up tightly, and arrange, seam side down, in baking dish. Cover with remaining sauce, and top with cheese. Bake until hot and bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Tomato and Zucchini Pie

I saw this on the Today show and had to have it. It was soooooooooo good and so so easy.

Tomato and Zucchini Pie
Adapted from Martha Stewart

For the crust:
1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg yolk, plus 1 large egg yolk, for egg wash
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water
1 tablespoon heavy cream, for egg wash for the filling

For the filling:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2 inch-thick half-moons
1 1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 ounces bocconcini (fresh mozzarella balls)
or fresh mozzarella (1-inch pieces)
3 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Coarse salt and freshly ground peppe

Make the crust:
Pulse flour, cheese, salt and butter in a food processor until mixture
resembles coarse meal. Add 1 egg yolk; pulse to combine. Drizzle in 1/4 cup ice water, and
pulse until dough just comes together. (If dough is still crumbly, add up to 1/4 cup more
water, 1 tablespoon at a time.) Form dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate or
freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

Make the filling:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium. Add shallot; cook, stirring
occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini; cook, stirring occasionally, until
light golden and liquid has been released, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

Halve one-third of the tomatoes. Stir halved and whole tomatoes, both cheeses, basil and
flour into shallot-zucchini mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 13-inch round, about 1/4-inch thick. Make
seven 3-inch-long cuts around edge of dough, evenly spaced. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate.
Drizzle shell with remaining tablespoon oil. Transfer filling to shell. Fold in flaps of dough,
slightly overlapping. Refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Whisk cream and remaining egg yolk in a small bowl, and brush over crust. Bake pie on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, 70 to 80 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.

Serve warm.

Roasted Shrimp Pasta Salad

On Sundays I am always looking for something I can make for weekday lunches. I made this for this week and so far so good. The recipe makes a lot - the perfect amount for a party. Next time I will half the recipe.

Roasted Shrimp Pasta Salad
Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa

Kosher salt
Good olive oil
3/4 pound orzo pasta (rice-shaped pasta)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds (16 to 18 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup chopped fresh dill
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
1/2 cup small-diced red onion
3/4 pound feta cheese, large diced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.

Meanwhile, place the shrimp on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Roast for 5 to 6 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through.

Add the shrimp to the orzo and then add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss well. Add the feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.

Lauri's Bruschetta

Lauri's Bruschetta

This recipe comes from my cousin, Lauri. It is so simple and so delicious. Lauri made it for us the last time we all visited with my grandmother. She served it on toast as a snack/appetizer. I have also served it over noodles for dinner. The key is in the tomatoes. I used different colored cherry tomatoes. Also, I did not have fresh oregano so I used dried.

Sauté garlic, fresh basil, fresh rosemary and fresh oregano in olive oil or I use olive oil cooking spray to keep it lighter. Slice baby heirloom tomatoes in half and add them in. Continue to sauté until tomatoes soften but don't break down. Put in a bowl and let them get to room temperature. Then tear up fresh mozzarella and mix it in.

If you cant find baby heirlooms, use a mix of small tomatoes. The variation in flavor is really nice- cherry, grape, etc

Angel Food Cake

I made Christian his favorite, angel food cake, for his birthday this past week. I have always heard that the homemade angel food cake tastes nothing like the grocery store version so I made it from scratch. I was a bit nervous about it, but it was spectacular! It was so delicious and easy to make. Definitely worth the effort. I served it with a dollop of lemon curd (store bought), whipped cream and fruit.

Angel Food Cake
Adapted from Alton Brown

1 3/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cake flour, sifted
12 egg whites (the closer to room temperature the better)
1/3 cup warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor spin sugar about 2 minutes until it is superfine. Sift half of the sugar with the salt the cake flour, setting the remaining sugar aside.

In a large bowl, use a balloon whisk to thoroughly combine egg whites, water, orange extract, and cream of tartar. After 2 minutes, switch to a hand mixer. Slowly sift the reserved sugar, beating continuously at medium speed. Once you have achieved medium peaks, sift enough of the flour mixture in to dust the top of the foam. Using a spatula fold in gently. Continue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.

Carefully spoon mixture into an ungreased tube pan. Bake for 35 minutes before checking for doneness with a wooden skewer. (When inserted halfway between the inner and outer wall, the skewer should come out dry).

Cool upside down on cooling rack for at least an hour before removing from pan.

Antipasto

This was really special. I usually do not like antipasto but I could not resist it from the photo in Food Network Magazine. It was so easy!

Antipasto with Prosciutto and Pickled Vegetables
Adapted from Anne Burrell, Food Network Magazine

1/2 pound mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced thin
1/2 small red onion, sliced thin
1/4 head cauliflower, sliced thin
3 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Kosher salt
1 cup coarsely grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1/2 pound prosciutto, sliced thin
2 cups baby arugula
Extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the mushrooms, onion, cauliflower, thyme, red pepper flakes, vinegar and salt to taste in a bowl. Toss well to combine, cover and let sit outside of the fridge for at least an hour, stirring once or twice.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. On a large baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper, make 4 flat circles of parmigiano-reggiano. Bake 8 to 9 minutes, or until the cheese looks golden and lacy. Remove the cheese rounds from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 1 to 2 minutes, then loosen them with a spatula. Let cool completely.

Divide the prosciutto among 4 plates. Toss the mushroom mixture (with some but not all the liquid) with the arugula and a drizzle of oil. Arrange a pile of the veggie mix on top of the prosciutto on each plate. You may need to add salt and pepper. Crumble the parmigiano disks on top.